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HOUSTON

Hills Snyder: YesferatuGallery Sonja RoeschReviewed by Catherine D. AnsponFor me, Hills Snyder stands out as one of themost brilliant members of the Texas scene, aprovocateur extraordinaire whose highly originalcolored acrylic sculptures are both arcane andcompelling.Yesferatu, Snyder's inaugural show atHouston's Gallery Sonja Roesch, was both acontinuation and a departure, more politicallycharged, yet possessing prototypical elementsthat are pure Hillsian: use of his trademarkacrylic medium, unexpected placement of dis-parate objects near a floor or ceiling, and aboveall, the presence of the ubiquitous "smiley" facewhich has become this sculptor's emblem.Snyder's work has always been characterizedby its wry commentary on cultural idioms andcontemporary life, and Yesferatu was no excep-tion, but this time, as mentioned above, thecontext was expanded to include specific obser-vations-hard hitting commentary on twoAmerican institutions. As the artist's accompa-nying statement revealed, this exhibition, withits emphasis on "duplicitous historical figuressuch as Henry Ford and Walt Disney suggests abifurcated take on the national character."Snyder's slash attack on these mainstreamicons is not as shocking as it would have beenperhaps five years ago. With the advent of theFord/Firestone tire debacle, Enron-itis, andAmerica's increasing distrust of behemoth cor-porate giants such as Disney, Snyder is perfectlyin sync with the national consciousness. Whatwas novel however, was his reaching back intohistory to reveal that the founders of these autoand media empires were in fact supremely prej-udiced and completely non-PC. The contrastbetween the upbeat, feel-good appearance ofthe sculpture and its implied creepy, disturbingcontent made the viewer question theirinitial reactions. Indeed, Snyder's coolly consid-ered Yesferatu succeeded in luring the onlookerin...then delivered its subversive message on aplate littered with candy-colored Pop debris.The most complex sculpture, Dr. Chlorophyll,a personal favorite of mine, superimposed thelikeness of a Disney-esque Count Dracula over a

Hills Snyder, Dr. Chlorophyll, 2002Acrylic mounted Durst print on birch support51/4 x 571/4 x 11/2 inchesCourtesy Gallery Sonja Roeschleering smiley face: Halloween meets unwaver-ing cheeriness, a nation of anti-heroes on anti-depressants, Snyder seems to be saying. It's astrange mixed metaphor, one that succeedstroublingly.I liked the blithe optimism of the show'sTinkerbell, rendered in the sculpture Swoop,which hovered unexpectedly, and almost out ofsight, near the top of the gallery's rectangularclerestory window. Later though, I wonderedabout this cheerfully beguiling fairy with hercurvaceous Barbie Doll body concocted fromlurid pink acrylic; could she be headed for acrash landing?The Henry Ford references were more cir-cuitous and obscure, hence, to me, less success-ful. Works such as Crosscut and Private Sector,however, I'm sure would appeal to minimalists.The former was based on an arcane reference toMississippi blues man T-Model Ford, with thesilhouette of a saw painted in white paint so thatit almost disappeared into the gallery wall;the latter, a six-piece work rendered in pencil onpaper, traced the outline of a mid-twentiesModel T. A more compelling work in its exquisiterestraint was Where Are You (While the World

Hills Snyder, WildBill (Nostradamos 'n'Andy), 2002Acrylic mounted Durst print on birch support33/4 x 33/4 x 2"Courtesy Gallery Sonja RoeschKeeps Turning), a simple smiley face executed inpencil on four panels; the outlines of the facewere so faint, it seemed ready to evaporate.In contrast, When You Say That confidentlyraised the flag of gay rights and was one of themost visually dynamic sculptures of this exhibit.Understatement went out the door as vibrantmirrored acrylic reflected alternating rainbowhues of red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and pur-ple. These pulsating bands were placed horizon-tally to compose another smiley face.For those like myself that were used to dis-covering Snyder's strange output in the intimatespace of his previous dealer, Kathleen James(where the sculptures worked very, very well inJames Gallery's Montrose bungalow), I wassurprised how beautifully his art translated inSonja Roesch's pristine new gallery. It wasa pleasant and delicious discovery as theserecent sculptures (all works 2002) gleamed andbeckoned us to their idiosyncratic, weird, yetintriguing universe.